Center for Communication in Medicine (CCM) founders Dr. Bernard Bandman and Celia Engel Bandman will offer a SpeakSooner program to help patients and family caregivers prepare for conversations with healthcare providers. An attendee at a recent program said, “CCM offers the community a priceless gift. There is an overwhelming need and thirst for your expertise.” We often find ourselves not understanding medical language and not knowing the questions to ask. The presenters will use the Difficult Conversations Toolkit to help participants identify and communicate questions and concerns they may have about treatment options, quality of life considerations and supportive care needs.

SpeakSooner programs help improve communication between patients, families and healthcare providers beginning sooner in the course of illness.

Visit www.SpeakSooner.org to access the Difficult Conversations Toolkit, read Celia’s blog “A Medical Humanist’s Notes.” and sign up for CCM news updates.

Workshop is free, but registration is required to ensure enough materials and seating. Participation is open to people with disabilities, their caregivers and allies.

Please let us know if you would like an ASL interpreter by Feb. 9. These are scent- and chemical-free events. To register, for more information or to request accommodations, contact:

Lynn Mazza
802-442-1876
lmazza@vcil.org

Join us for a full day of activities, including workshops and a press conference. For more information or to make a reasonable accommodation request, contact Stefanie Monte at smonte@vcil.org or 802-224-1820.